Should gays be able to marry?

January 19, 2009 2:48 pm

Gay men and women in permanent relationships argue that they should be able to enjoy the same tax, health insurance and inheritance benefits as married men and women. Courts have ruled that civil unions, which extend many of these benefits, are akin to the “separate but equal, which is inherently unequal” standard. Should gays be able to marry? If churches are free to refuse to marry gays or other couples who do not adhere to their faith, does that satisfy the religious concerns? Or is the union of a man and woman a basic building block of society, in part because of the potential to procreate, that it should remain distinct? Are heterosexuals guilty of perpetuating a “tyranny of the majority” by denying gay marriage? What is the way out of this impasse?